Patch 8.1 Hotfixes - February 20, 2019
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Dungeons and Raids
Battle of Dazar’alor
Opulence Unleashed Rage (opal gem buff) and Earthen Roots (emerald gem buff) now also increase damage dealt by pets.
King Rastakhan Fixed a bug that caused the encounter to unintentionally reset after resurrecting a player who died in the Death Realm.
Lady Jaina Proudmoore Chilling Touch duration reduced by 20%.
Chilling Touch is no longer affected by Da Voodoo Shuffle.
Fixed a bug that caused Freezing Blood to be sometimes applied to players who correctly had allies nearby, on Mythic Difficulty.
Items Fixed a bug that caused Enveloping Protection to be removed early when a target was hit with an attack that would fully absorb the shield. Player versus Player
Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator) Resolved an issue that caused Thorns to deal damage when the target is struck by unintended spells such as Eye for an Eye, Frost Fever, or Virulent Plague.
Restoration Fixed a bug that caused Soul of the Forest to increase the healing of Germination applied by Nourish without being consumed.
Fixed a bug that allowed Nourish to apply two copies of Lifebloom to a target.
Quests Flushed out a bug that prevented players from always being properly credited for objectives on "Flush Them Out".
Upcoming Windwalker Monk PTR Change
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
In the next PTR build*, we’re looking to test this change: Now, If your primary target of Fists of Fury is dead or despawns, a new primary target will be picked for the purposes of dealing bonus damage to the primary target. It will pick the closest thing to you, unless you already have something else targeted that’s going to be hit by the damage spell.
So this is similar to how Eye Beam picks a target. It should also address Open Palm Strikes (Azerite Trait) sometimes stopping proccing because your main Fists of Fury target has died.
*This should be soon, but it may be in the public build following the very next one.
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Keeping in Touch With Good Players
Here’s one thing I like to do–
As soon as I realize “This is a person I’d like to group up with again”, I ask them if they’re in any Communities they really like, and would be open to having me join. I’ve ended up in a few interesting Communities as a result.
And Communities show up in the Social tab of your Blizzard Battlenet App (the launcher). Really convenient. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums) Zandalari Racial Still not Nerfed
I’ve been following this subject quite closely throughout this PTR.
While I don’t think you’re going to see changes in the very next PTR build (coming … you know – “Soon”), I do think you’re going to see some further tuning in a PTR build after that.
I would usually move a thread like this one over to the PTR forum, but I think I’ll leave it here with this: As soon as I know exactly what’s been changed for testing, I’ll post about it in the PTR forum. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums) Kul Tiran and Zandalari Unlock Requirements and Faction Change I’ve completed all the above on my only 120 character. If I was to faction change to alliance now, would I still be able to unlock Zandalari, or do I need to wait till the unlock quest chain is live before faction changing?
Sorry for the delay, but I got some details related to characters that swap factions and these requirements! If you do a faction change your reputations will switch over but quest completion does not, so if you want to qualify to unlock the kul tiran/zandalari you will need to do the main storyline for that continent and faction.
Note that for the War Campaign aspect, if you got to exalted with 7th Legion/Honorbound then you can just do all the chapters without any delays to gain more reputation. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
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Patch 8.1 Hotfixes - February 20th, 2019
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Dungeons and Raids
Battle of Dazar’alor
Opulence Unleashed Rage (opal gem buff) and Earthen Roots (emerald gem buff) now also increase damage dealt by pets.
King Rastakhan Fixed a bug that caused the encounter to unintentionally reset after resurrecting a player who died in the Death Realm.
Lady Jaina Proudmoore Chilling Touch duration reduced by 20%.
Chilling Touch is no longer affected by Da Voodoo Shuffle.
Fixed a bug that caused Freezing Blood to be sometimes applied to players who correctly had allies nearby, on Mythic Difficulty.
Items Fixed a bug that caused Enveloping Protection to be removed early when a target was hit with an attack that would fully absorb the shield. Player vs Player
Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator / PvP Talent Calculator) Resolved an issue that caused Thorns to deal damage when the target is struck by unintended spells such as Eye for an Eye, Frost Fever, or Virulent Plague.
Restoration Fixed a bug that caused Soul of the Forest to increase the healing of Germination applied by Nourish without being consumed.
Fixed a bug that allowed Nourish to apply two copies of Lifebloom to a target.
Quests Flushed out a bug that prevented players from always being properly credited for objectives on "Flush Them Out".
Patch 8.1.5 PTR - Windwalker Monk Change
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
In the next PTR build*, we’re looking to test this change: Now, If your primary target of Fists of Fury is dead or despawns, a new primary target will be picked for the purposes of dealing bonus damage to the primary target. It will pick the closest thing to you, unless you already have something else targeted that’s going to be hit by the damage spell.
So this is similar to how Eye Beam picks a target. It should also address Open Palm Strikes (Azerite Trait) sometimes stopping proccing because your main Fists of Fury target has died.
*This should be soon, but it may be in the public build following the very next one.
Zandalari Troll Racial Concerns
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
So, it has been multiple weeks since the racials came out and everyone assured me that the troll racials were so OP they would “obviously” be nerfed.
I am still waiting…Not only is regeneratin’ extremely OP…but the LoA blessing is also very OP. Take Embrace of Bwonsamdi (Your damaging abilities have a chance to deal [Attack power * 0.25 * 1 * (1 + Versatility)] Shadow damage and heal you for 100% of the damage done.) Compare this to the Night Elf racial of 1% to crit…yeah. Blizz. You don’t have much time left. Show us that you are not completely inept and nerf Zandalari racials already.
I’ve been following this subject quite closely throughout this PTR.
While I don’t think you’re going to see changes in the very next PTR build (coming … you know – “Soon”), I do think you’re going to see some further tuning in a PTR build after that.
I would usually move a thread like this one over to the PTR forum, but I think I’ll leave it here with this: As soon as I know exactly what’s been changed for testing, I’ll post about it in the PTR forum.
View the full article

New Allied Races Ahead! Kul Tiran Humans and Zandalari Trolls
Blizzard posted an official preview for the Kul Tiran and Zandalari allied races that can now be unlocked in the coming content patch if you meet the requirements and complete the unlock quests. For our own previews, click the banners!
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Two new playable Allied Races are waiting in the wings to join the Battle for Azeroth as part of the Horde and Alliance—but first, you’ll need to prove your worth and earn your way into their good graces.
Zandalari Troll
The Zandalari are a proud people whose origins date back to the early days of Azeroth's history. Their fierce warriors ride dinosaurs into battle, and they possess one of the most formidable naval fleets in the known world. Available Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior Racial Traits:
City of Gold: Discover more gold from creatures.
Embrace of the Loa: Beseech a loa, obtaining one of six powerful boons.
Pterrordax Swoop: Summons a pterrodax to reduce your falling speed.
Regeneratin’: Concentrate to heal yourself rapidly over a short time.
To unlock this Allied Race: Reach Exalted with Zandalari Empire
Earn the achievement Zandalar Forever! Complete the following achievements on the continent of Zandalar: The Throne of Zuldazar, The Dark Heart of Nazmir, Secrets in the Sands, A Bargain of Blood, The Final Seal
Earn the achievement Tides of Vengeance Complete the Horde Tides of Vengeance War Campaign: The Day Is Won, Mekkatorque’s Battle Plans, Through the Front Door, Fly Out to Meet Them
When the next content update goes live, players who’ve completed these requirements will gain access to a quest chain to recruit the Zandalari as an Allied Race. Once you complete the chain, you’ll receive the achievement Allied Races: Zandalari Troll and can create a new Zandalari on the character creation screen.
Note that while the campaign continues into the Battle of Dazar’alor raid dungeon, completing that is not required to gain access to the new race. New Heritage Armor and Mount
Leveling your new Zandalari troll from 20 to 110 will earn you a cosmetic Heritage Armor set that is unique to this new Allied Race. You’ll also unlock a new mount—the Zandalari Direhorn—for your collection at character creation, which all of your Horde characters can ride. Kul Tiran Human
Kul Tiras was founded by fearless explorers who sailed uncharted waters in search of adventure. As a key member of the Alliance of Lordaeron, the Kul Tiran navy dominated the seas of Azeroth with its legendary fleet. Available Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior Racial Traits:
Brush It Off: Increases Versatility and heals a portion of the damage you take.
Child of the Sea: Swim faster and breathe longer underwater.
Haymaker: Smash your opponent, stunning and knocking them back.
Jack of All Trades: Skill in all professions increased.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Resistant to Frost and Nature damage.
To unlock this Allied Race: Reach Exalted with Proudmoore Admiralty
Earn the achievement A Nation United Complete the following achievements and quests on the continent of Kul Tiras: A Nation United, Loremaster of Kul Tiras, The Pride of Kul Tiras.
Earn the achievement Tides of Vengeance Complete the Alliance Tides of Vengeance War Campaign: War Marches On, The Sleeper Agent, Mischief Managed, He Who Walks in the Light
When the next content update goes live, players who’ve completed the requirements will gain access to a quest chain to recruit the Kul Tirans as an Allied race. Once you complete the chain, you’ll receive the achievement Allied Races: Kul Tiran and can create a new Kul Tiran on the character creation screen.
Note that while the campaign continues into the Battle of Dazar’alor raid dungeon, completing that is not required to gain access to the new race. New Heritage Armor and Mount
Leveling your new Kul Tiran human from 20 to 110 will earn a cosmetic Heritage Armor set that is unique to this new Allied Race. You’ll also unlock a new mount—the Kul Tiran Charger—for your collection at character creation, which all of your Alliance characters can ride. War Campaign Road Map
If you’re still working your way through the Horde and Alliance War Campaigns, don’t worry. We’ve put together a brief walkthrough of what you need to do to prepare to unlock the new Allied Races. Horde War Campaign
Alliance War Campaign
At level 110 and after you’ve completed the opening quest lines of Battle for Azeroth, you’ll be introduced to the new War Campaign and begin the road to opening new Footholds over time in the opposite faction’s territories.
Your first quest will be The War Campaign, which introduces you to War Resources. After the quest Mission From the Warchief, you’ll be introduced to the mission table, which will allow you to begin sending followers you gain through your adventures out to carry out missions.
Access to Footholds will become available as you level through Zuldazar, Nazmir, and Vol’dun. At each key point in your journey (level 110, 114, and 118) you’ll be able to establish a new Foothold in Drustvar, Stormsong Valley, and Tiragarde Sound. At level 120, you’ll begin focusing more on reaching reputation milestones with The Honorbound. Ready for War (Achievements)
Complete the War Campaign in Zandalar and Kul Tiras. Drustvar Foothold
Tiragarde Sound Foothold
Stormsong Valley Foothold
Chapter 1: The First Assault—Requires level 120 and Friendly reputation with The Honorbound to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: Breaking Kul Tiran Will, Into the Heart of Tiragarde, Our Mountain Now, Making Ourselves at Home, Bridgeport Investigation, Explosives in the Foundry, Explosivity, Ammunition Acquisition, Gunpowder Research
Chapter 2: The Marshal’s Grave—Requires at least 4,500 into Friendly reputation with The Honorbound to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: A Stroll Through a Cemetery, Examining the Epitaphs, State of Unrest, Our Lot in Life, The Crypt Keeper, What Remains of Marshal M. Valentine
Chapter 3: Death of a Tidesage—Requires at least 3,000 into Honored reputation with The Honorbound to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: Tracking Tidesages, No Price Too High, They Will Know Fear, Scattering Our Enemies, Commander and Captain, Zelling’s Potential, Whatever Will Be, To Be Forsaken
Chapter 4: At the Bottom of the Sea—Requires at least 7,500 into Honored reputation with The Honorbound to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: Journey to the Middle of Nowhere, Deep Dive, Seafloor Shipwreck, Checking Dog Tags, The Sunken Graveyard, Biolumi-Nuisance, Captain By Captain, The Undersea Ledge, Water-Breathing Dragon, Grab and Go, With Prince in Tow
Chapter 5: The Strike on Boralus—Requires Revered reputation with The Honorbound to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: When a Plan Comes Together, Old Colleagues, The Bulk of the Guard, A Well Placed Portal, Relics of Ritual, Forfeit Souls, Tidesage Teachings, Gaining the Upper Hand, Return to the Harbor, Life Held Hostage, The Aid of the Tides, A Cycle of Hatred
Tides of Vengeance
Complete the Horde Tides of Vengeance War Campaign.
Chapter 6: The Day Is Won—Requires the completion of the Ready for War achievement to begin this quest line.
Quests: Our War Continues, Azerite Denied, The Fury of the Horde, Cleaning Out the Estate, Machines of War and Azerite, With Honor, The Hunt Never Ends, Ride Out to Meet Them, The Day Is Won.
Chapter 7: Mekkatorque’s Battle Plans—Requires the completion of the War Campaign chapter The Day is Won and at least 7,000 into Revered reputation with The Honorbound.
Quests: A Mech for a Goblin, It Belongs in My Mech!, Avoiding Lawsuits 101, The Right Mech for the Job, Necessary Precautions, Test Case #1; Mech vs. Mekkatorque, Insurance Policy, Insurance Renewal, Killing on the Side, Mekkatorque’s Battle Plans, Mech Versus Airship, A Goblin’s Definition of Success
Chapter 8: Through the Front Door—Requires the completion of the Mekkatorque’s Battle Plans chapter of the War Campaign and at least 14,000 into Revered reputation with The Honorbound.
Quests: Breaking Out Ashvane, Face Your Enemy, Be More Uniform, A Brilliant Distraction, Catching a Ride, Through the Front Door
Chapter 9: Fly Out to Meet Them—Requires the completion of the Through the Front Door chapter of the War Campaign.
Quests: War Is Here, Ride of the Zandalari, No One Left Behind, A Path of Blood, Retaking the Outpost, Putting the Gob in Gob Squad, Re-rebuilding the A.F.M.O.D., It’s Alive!, The Battle of Zul’jan Ruins, We Have Them Cornered, Zandalari Justice, None Shall Escape, Breaking Mirrors, Telaamon’s Purge, Parting Mists, Fly Out to Meet Them
At level 110 and after you’ve completed the opening quest lines of Battle for Azeroth, you’ll be introduced to the new War Campaign and begin the road to opening new Footholds over time in the opposite faction’s territories.
Your first quest will be The War Campaign, which introduces you to War Resources. After the quest Mission From the King, you’ll be introduced to the mission table, which will allow you to begin sending followers you gain through your adventures out to carry out missions.
Access to Footholds will become available as you level through Tiragarde Sound, Drustvar, and Stormsong Valley. At each key point in your journey (level 110, 114, and 118) you’ll be able to establish a new Foothold in Nazmir, Zuldazar, and Vol’dun. At level 120, you’ll begin focusing more on reaching reputation milestones with the 7th Legion. Ready for War (Achievements)
Complete the War Campaign in Kul Tiras and Zandalar. Nazmir Foothold
Vol’dun Foothold
Zuldazar Foothold
Chapter 1: Blood on the Sand—Requires level 120 and Friendly reputation with the 7th Legion to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: The Vol’dun Plan, Comb the Desert, Dirty Work, Classic Reliquary, Never Stop Combing, A Message to the Zandalari, Improvised Survival, They Have Alpacas Here, Delayed Deathification, Full of Arrows, The Big Boom
Chapter 2: Chasing Darkness—Requires at least 4,500 into Friendly reputation with the 7th Legion to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: How to Kill a Dark Ranger, The Savage Hunt, Tortollans in Distress, They Can’t Stay Here, One Option: Fire, Ending Areiel, Meeting of the Minds, Target: Blood Prince Dreven
Chapter 3: A Golden Opportunity—Requires at least 3,000 into Honored reputation with the 7th Legion to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: Our Next Target, The Void Elves Stand Ready, The Void Solution, Find the Paper Trail, Chasing Gallywix, I Take No Pleasure in This, We Have Him Cornered, Gallywix Got Away
Chapter 4: Blood in the Water—Requires at least 7,500 into Honored reputation with the 7th Legion to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: Hunting Blood Prince Dreven, Broadside Bedlam, The Wildhammer Specialty, An Unnatural Crew, Foul Crystals for Foul People, Kings’ Rest, Ending the San’layn Threat, A Clean Escape
Chapter 5: The Strike on Zuldazar—Requires Revered reputation with the 7th Legion to begin the associated War Campaign quests to earn this achievement.
Quests: Bringing Down the Fleet, How to Sink a Zandalari Battleship, Under the Cover of Swiftwing, Ship Logs, Sabotaging the Pa’ku, The Enlarged Miniaturized Submarine, My Enemy’s Enemy Is My Disguise, Intelligence Denial, Right Beneath Their Nose, Void Vacation, Victory Is Assured, Leave None Alive, Silencing the Advisor, An End to Killing
Tides of Vengeance
Complete the Alliance Tides of Vengeance War Campaign.
Chapter 6: War Marches On—Requires the completion of the Ready for War achievement to begin this quest line.
Quests: The Calm Before, To Anglepoint, Stand Fast, Zero Zeppelins, Repel the Horde!, Squad Goals, Besieged Allies, Outrigger Outfitters, Gunpowder Plots, Masking for a Friend, Free Plumeria!, Shots Fired, Stopping the Sappers, Express Delivery, War Marches On
Chapter 7: The Sleeper Agent—Requires the completion of the War Marches On chapter of the War Campaign and at least 7,000 into Revered reputation with the 7th Legion.
Quests: Sensitive Intel, Real Big Power, A Beast With Brains, Out of Options, Freedom for the Da’kani, Bittersweet Goodbyes, The Needs of the Many, Bring the Base, Fit for Grong, Calibrate the Core, The Embiggining, Total Temple Destruction, A Nice Nap, The Sleeper Agent
Chapter 8: Mischief Managed—Requires the completion of The Sleeper Agent chapter of the War Campaign and 14,000 Revered reputation with the 7th Legion.
Quests: The Abyssal Scepter, The Treasury Heist, Mischief Managed
Chapter 9: He Who Walks in the Light—Requires the completion of Mischief Managed chapter of the War Campaign.
Quests: The Fall of Zuldazar, The March to Nazmir, Repurposing Their Village, Dark Iron Machinations, Fog of War, Lurking in the Swamp, Zul’jan Deluge, Showing Our Might, Taming Their Beasts, The Mech of Death, Taking the Blood Gate, He Who Walks in the Light
Want to see just how far along you are? Check out Wowhead’s tracker.
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Weekly Event - Burning Crusade Timewalking
Burning Crusade Timewalking is back this week. Don't forget to check out Black Temple Timewalking during the event! Black Temple awards base item level 385 gear. The weekly quest from your adventure guide rewards Azerite Power and Cache of Dazar'alor Treasures.
You can find Cupri in Shattrath.
Don't forget to keep working towards Reins of the Eclipse Dragonhawk, Bridle of the Ironbound Wraithcharger, and Yu'lei, Daughter of Jade!
Reins of the Infinite Timereaver can also drop from any Timewalking dungeon boss.
Warbringer Yenajz - Stormsong Valley Battle for Azeroth World Boss Warbringer Yenajz is up in Stormsong Valley.
Level
Type
Slot
Name
Model Viewer
355
Finger
Finger
Band of Intense Gravitation
355
Trinket
Trinket
Prism of Dark Intensity
355
Cloth
Shoulders
Amice of the Rending Abyss
Modelviewer
355
Cloth
Wrists
Wristwraps of Warped Reality
Modelviewer
355
Leather
Legs
Leggings of the Endless Void
Modelviewer
355
Leather
Hands
Shadow-Wreathed Gloves
Modelviewer
355
Mail
Shoulders
Spaulders of the Enveloping Maw
Modelviewer
355
Mail
Feet
Yenajz's Chitinous Stompers
Modelviewer
355
Plate
Hands
Existence-Shattering Gauntlets
Modelviewer
Brawl - Tarren Mill vs. Southshore
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Originally introduced as a part of the World of Warcraft 10-Year Anniversary event, this Brawl harkens back to the early days of WoW PvP, with an epic battle between the two towns of Tarren Mill and Southshore. In this game of war, you’ll need to work as a team and deplete your foes’ resources to claim victory.
Island Expeditions for the Week of February 19th, 2019
The Island Expeditions for the week are: Jorundall with Taunka
Dread Chain with Trolls
Verdant Wilds with Druids
Call to Arms: Tiragarde Sound
This week's Call to Arms is Call to Arms: Tiragarde Sound or Call to Arms: Tiragarde Sound. Head to Tiragarde Sound with warmode enabled to kill 10 players of the opposing faction. This will reward you with conquest and 75 reputation for either 7th Legion or The Honorbound.View the full article

Patch 8.1.5 PTR - Zandalari Troll Embrace of the Loa Shrines
The Zandalari Troll racial ability Embrace of the Loa now requires your Zandalari troll to use the ability in front of one of the Zandalari loa shrines around Dazar'alor. This grants you the buff of the loa and will remain until you replace it with another loa shrine. This activates a 5 day cooldown during which you cannot change the buff. You can talk to guards in Dazar'alor to get the specific shrine marked on the map.
Embrace of the Loa
Embrace of Krag'wa - (Top left shrine on map) Taking damage has a chance to grant you [ Greater of {300% of Spell Power} or {300% of Attack Power * pctD * (1 + 0)} ] additional Health and [ Greater of {50% of Spell Power} or {50% of Attack Power * pctD * (1 + 0)} ] Armor.
Embrace of Kimbul - (Top right shrine on map) Your damaging abilities have a chance to cause the target to bleed for [ Greater of {66% of Spell Power} or {66% of Attack Power * pctD * (1 + 0)} * 3 ] over 6 sec. This effect stacks up to 3 times.
Embrace of Bwonsamdi - (lower left shrine on map) Your damaging abilities have a chance to deal [ Greater of {66% of Spell Power} or {66% of Attack Power * pctD * (1 + 0)} ] Shadow damage and heal you for 100% of the damage done.
Embrace of Paku - (Bottom left shrine on map) Your abilities have a chance to grant you 5% critical strike for 0 sec.
Embrace of Gonk - (Bottom right shrine on map) Increase movement speed by 5%.
Embrace of Akunda - (lower right shrine on map) Your healing abilities have a chance to heal their target for [ Greater of {50% of Spell Power} or {50% of Attack Power * pctD * (1 + 0)} ].
Patch 8.1.5 PTR - Darkmoon Faire Roller Coaster
The Darkmoon Faire Roller Coaster functions much like the carousel, giving you the WHEE! buff after riding it. It costs one Darkmoon Ride Ticket.
Dark Legacy Comics #668 DLC #668 has been released!
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Challenge Rift - Week 86 Celebrate a Wild Valentine's Day - Find and Build Themed Decks! Patch 8.1 Hotfixes - February 14, 2019
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Dungeons and Raids
Battle of Dazar’alor
High Tinker Mekkatorque Wind Up now grants 10% Haste and Movement Speed in Heroic difficulty (was 20%).
Boss health lowered by 5% in Heroic difficulty.
King Rastakhan Seal of Purification, Scorching Detonation, and Withering Burst should no longer hit pets.
Uldir
Taloc Orbs of Harmony will now respawn when the Taloc encounter resets.
Player versus Player Restoration Druid mana regeneration is now reduced by 55% in PvP.
Holy Priest, Holy Paladin, Restoration Shaman, and Mistweaver Monk mana regeneration is now reduced by 50% in PvP.
Discipline Priest mana regeneration is now reduced by 45% in PvP.
Balance Druid, Feral Druid, and Elemental Shaman mana regeneration is reduced by 35% in PvP. Developers’ notes: We’ve taken a careful look at healer mana during longer PvP engagements in both Arenas and battlegrounds, and the changes above are intended to address several concerns. In PvP, we want mana to feel like a more critical resource, and we want mana efficiency to be an important part of PvP healing. At the beginning of Battle for Azeroth, mana regeneration from all healer specs was reduced by 15-30% (depending on the class), and after reviewing the current state of the game, we feel like further reductions are necessary to both healer specs and a few hybrid specs.
Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Restoration
Nourish mana cost increased by 30%.
Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Assassination
Neurotoxin now increases the cooldown of affected spells by 1 second (was 3 seconds).
Neurotoxin now has a 45 second cooldown (was 25 seconds).
Neurotoxin now has a 3 second duration (was 10 seconds). Developers note: Unfortunately, we are unable to fix several technical issues with this spell at this time. We’re working on a fix for it that we hope to include in 8.1.5.
Patch 8.1.5 PTR - Portal Room Portal Model Updates
The portals in the portal rooms of Stormwind and Orgrimmar have received updates from the old mage portals on the PTR.
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Whirling Dragon Punch Bug are you guys aware about the whirling dragon punch bug for windwalkers? I haven’t read anything acknowledging it and its pretty game influencing
With Whirling Dragon Punch, there seems to be a bug causing a cooldown discrepancy. We’re testing it in 8.1.5, where it appears to be fixed, and appreciate the heads-up. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Chris Metzen Tweets
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
While I don’t represent Blizzard anymore, I want to say that despite how hard this week was - the folks still there are some of the most dedicated and passionate developers in the world. They give their ALL daily...... for YOU guys.
Yes, the business end of things can be tough sometimes - but that’s every company. Blizzard’s not done. Or over. Or on fire. Rough patch, maybe? But the people there are brilliant and working hard every day. Support them. Encourage them where you can.
Flailing about the apocalypse doesn’t help. Positivity and faith in the long run actually DO help. A community that doesn’t support each other won’t last. Be positive for each other. Be constructive. Anger just breeds anger. I think Yoda said that once...
...the vast majority of people there that build and support products can’t/don’t control the top end of the business. Claiming that it all on fire and dead does a huge disservice to the people that are there doing their best. (Source)
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PvP Hotfixes Live - Feb. 13
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
[Updated 19:30 PST – all changes below are now live]
Good evening!
We’ve taken a careful look at healer mana during longer PvP engagements in both Arenas and battlegrounds, and we’re deploying some changes to address several concerns.
In PvP, we want mana to feel like a more critical resource, and we want mana efficiency to be an important part of PvP healing. At the beginning of Battle for Azeroth, mana regeneration from all healer specs was reduced by 15-30% (depending on the class), and after reviewing the current state of the game, we feel like further reductions are necessary to both healer specs and a few hybrid specs.
With a hotfix that is coming very soon: Player versus Player Restoration Druid mana regeneration is now reduced by 55% in PvP.
Holy Priest, Holy Paladin, Restoration Shaman, and Mistweaver Monk mana regeneration is now reduced by 50% in PvP.
Discipline Priest mana regeneration is now reduced by 45% in PvP.
Balance Druid, Feral Druid, and Elemental Shaman mana regeneration is reduced by 35% in PvP.
Separately, we’re working on the following hotfix: Druid Restoration
Nourish (PvP Talent) mana cost increased by 30%
Separately, we’re addressing Neurotoxin. Rogue Assassination
Neurotoxin now increases the cooldown of affected spells by 1 sec, down from 3 sec.
Neurotoxin now has a 45 second cooldown, up from 25 sec.
Neurotoxin now has a 3 sec duration, down from 10 sec.
Developers note: Unfortunately, we are unable to fix a number of technical issues with this spell at this time. We’re working on a fix for it that we hope to include in 8.1.5.
Again, the above changes to the game will be made live very soon. I will update this thread with each, and you’ll see the final word on all new hotfixes in our next hotfixes update (tomorrow, Feb. 14, in the afternoon PST).
Raid Testing Schedule - February 21st - 25th
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
On Thursday, February 21st we will be conducting a Heroic raid tests of Crucible of Storms. After testing has ended on Thursday, we will open the zone on Normal mode until Monday, February 25th. Thursday, February 21st The Restless Cabal - Heroic Crucible of Storms
13:00 PST (16:00 EST, 22:00 CET) Uu’nat, Harrbinger of the Void - Heroic Crucible of Storms
14:00 PST (17:00 EST, 23:00 CET) Normal Crucible of Storms
16:00 PST (19:00 EST, 1:00 CET)
As always, this testing schedule is very fluid and subject to the realities of a test environment. We might have to change the time of a testing session, change the bosses being tested, or cancel a test entirely, due to bugs, server hardware issues, etc. Keep an eye on this forum for the latest information, and thank you in advance for testing and providing feedback. Q: How do I get into the raid zone?
A: In Zuldazar, Boralus, Dalaran, Orgrimmar, or Stormwind, you may speak to Nexus-Lord Donjon Rade III in order to teleport into the raid zone while it is open for testing. (The option to teleport into a zone will not be available when the zone is not open for testing.)
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Bornakk, Still Here?
I am still here my friend. Can we expect to see less replies to feedback? None at all? More?
We will not be ignoring the community. That said, I don’t mean to dodge the question but I would prefer to let our actions speak for themselves as we work through these changes because ultimately you and the rest of the community are the ones who will judge just how much we are communicating and listening to you. We are here though. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Ythisens Tweets
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
So yesterday was a roller coaster but here's the highlight: Got laid off Trended in California, My tweet was #4 on r/all, Was #1 on r/wow and r/classicwow.
I got so many people from so many places messaging both with support and love as well as people from other studios help find me a home. You get a little lost in the numbers sometimes and forget how many people you actually interact with but I've been in tears constantly because I truly didn't know. Thank you seriously everyone. I have some parting words that I want to say here so lets go.
1) This was not something that anyone wanted regardless of studio or executive. I refuse to believe that anyone actually wanted to do this. It's cruel yes, but it's the beast when you're publicly traded. I'd still work for J. Allen Brack again.
2) Please be kind to @devolore he's a lot nicer and genuinely does care more than he leads you all to believe. I loved working with him and learned a lot. I wouldn't have been good at my job if it wasn't for things I learned working with him.
3) From my understanding the WoW team didn't really "have a say" in what was happening. Please don't hold it against them. There's good people on that team that I'll remain friends with forever no matter what happens.
4) I had a lot of pride in being able to work with all of the content creators for @Warcraft. I was a fan of almost all of you so it meant a lot to me that I got to work with you professionally. As for who is taking over, I'll try to let you guys know when they figure it out.
5) I understand if you're upset. You have a right to be, I am too. Make your voices heard in all aspects as it continues for WoW. I've been on the other side and seen how loud you guys can be, trust me when I say they can't ignore it and it does cause change.
6) I'll be continually updating my LinkedIn but obviously I'm looking for a new home and I appreciate any help/recommendations. I've got a few things I'm looking into already but you never know.
7) I'm still going to be involved with the @Warcraft community. I'm never going to go away and I hope you'll see me involved with a few things soon. My passion for the industry was spawned from WoW and that will never change.
8) Please share love to my fellow colleagues that were also laid off, @Blizzard_Ent lost a lot of talent today not just CMs. People that made everything run from so many departments were hit by this and it sucks, they were really good people and they didn't deserve this.
9) I know I've spoken to him already but I want to say that it was a pleasure working with @WatcherDev. I will cherish and value every day that I got to work with his team and him because it's what I got in this industry to do. He's a good Game Director and he does care.
I think I'll end it there. I might talk about it more as it sinks in a little more but it's still very disheartening. Thank you all again both players, industry, and my Blizzard family for all the messages. You don't know how important it is to us to hear from you. (Source)
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Message from J. Allen Brack Patch 8.1 Hotfixes - February 12, 2019
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Dungeons and Raids Corrected an issue preventing the Keystone Master achievement from being properly awarded.
Court of Stars Fixed a bug that prevented completion of the achievement Dropping Some Eaves while the World Quest “Court of Stars: Wraith in the Machine” is up.
Battle of Dazar’alor
Jadefire Masters Visual distinctions have been added to the Multisided Strike clones in Heroic and Mythic difficulties.
Event High Overlord Saurfang heard a rumor that someone has a Love is in the Air surprise for him, and will risk coming out of hiding to receive it. Items The movement speed reduction from Everchill Anchor is now correctly treated as a Snare effect, and can now be dispelled as a Magic effect.
Heart of Azeroth
Ephemeral Recovery's cooldown now correctly persists through immunity effects.
Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Arcanic Pulsar will now properly apply Celestial Alignment to the Druid if their 9th Starsurge cast kills a player summoned unit such as Tremor Totem.
Player versus Player
Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Assassination Fixed an issue that caused Poisoned Knife to remove your non-active lethal poison that was applied by Shiv.
Resolved an issue that caused Neurotoxin to increase the duration of school lockouts caused by interrupt abilities such as Kick.
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Activision Blizzard Q4 2018 Earnings Call and Layoffs Message from J. Allen Brack
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker)
Blizzard Community…
Over the past few months, I’ve met with many people throughout Blizzard, talking about how we create our future. One thing that remains constant: we are committed to creating epic games and entertainment experiences.
Our development pipeline is strong, and we have the largest lineup of games that we’ve ever had. At the same time, Blizzard tries to have a level of craftsmanship and excellence in all that we do. Maintaining those standards as we continue expanding these worlds takes both time and talented developers.
With that in mind, we have plans to add to game development. We are dedicated to bringing you more content across existing game franchises and bringing our unannounced projects to life. Esports and the Overwatch League are also important priorities, and we will continue to produce great competitive content.
To better support these priorities, we need to reorganize some of our non-development teams. As a result, we will be reducing the number of non-development positions in North America and anticipate a related process in our regional offices over the coming months subject to local requirements. This was an extremely difficult decision, and we want to acknowledge the effort of everyone who has contributed to Blizzard. To assist with the transition, we are offering each impacted employee a severance package that includes additional pay, benefits continuation, and career and recruiting support to help them find their next opportunity. These people are members of the Blizzard family—they’ve cared deeply and contributed greatly to our work here and we are extremely grateful for all they’ve done.
As difficult as some of these organizational changes are, I am confident in Blizzard’s future and we will continue working hard to live up to not only our mission, but your expectations. We look forward to sharing everything with you when it’s ready.
J. Allen Brack
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Challenge Rift - Week 86 Developer Insights: The Season of Rastakhan Raid Finder Wing 2 Battle of Dazar'alor
Raid Finder Wing 2 for Battle of Dazar'alor opens this week.
Love is in the Air
Love is in the Air returns today, with a few updates.
Peddlefeet's Lovely Hearthstone is available for 150 Love Token.
Neck slot items are now item level 365 for level 120.
Players that are lower level than current expansion content (lower than Level 110) receive Heart-Shaped Carton, which doesn't contain the Big Love Rocket
Pet Battle Bonus Event
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Put your best battle pet teams to the test with this week’s event. To get in on the action, open your Pet Journal (Collections Shift+ P) and click the “Find Battle” button to be match up with an opponent with their own team of well-trained companions.
Look for the following all week long: Chronicler Shoopa in Zuldazar and in Boralus has a quest for you – The Very Best. Or, if you forget to pick it up there, you can start it within the Adventure Journal.
Quest requirement: Win 5 pet battles versus other players with a team of three level-25 pets.
Reward: One Ultimate Battle-Training Stone.
Passive bonus: All Pet Battle experience gains are increased by +200%
Every Week
The Bonus Events system consists of a rotating schedule of different activities, currently scheduled to run each week beginning on Tuesdays. Each Bonus Event grants a passive bonus to a particular game activity and offers a once-per-event quest with a noteworthy reward for accomplishing a related goal. The in-game calendar can serve as your one-stop reference for the event schedule. The Adventure Guide also offers a direct link to active Bonus Events, allowing you to easily accept any associated quests.
T'zane - Nazmir Battle for Azeroth World Boss T'Zane is the world boss for the week!
Level
Type
Slot
Name
Model Viewer
355
Trinket
Trinket
Knot of Spiritual Fury
355
Trinket
Trinket
Spiritbound Voodoo Burl
355
Trinket
Trinket
T'zane's Barkspines
355
Cloth
Waist
Cinch of All-Consuming Death
Modelviewer
355
Cloth
Legs
Wailing Terror Leggings
Modelviewer
355
Leather
Shoulders
Deathshambler's Shoulderpads
Modelviewer
355
Leather
Wrists
Bindings of Eternal Fears
Modelviewer
355
Mail
Legs
Legguards of the Barkbound Dead
Modelviewer
355
Mail
Feet
Swampwalker's Soul-Treads
Modelviewer
355
Plate
Head
Petrified Mask of the Afterlife
Modelviewer
355
Plate
Waist
Death Devouring Girdle
Modelviewer
355
Plate
Wrists
Soulplank Vambraces
Modelviewer
Island Expeditions for the Week of February 12th, 2019
The Island Expeditions for the week are: Rotting Mire with Pirates
Havenswood with Feral Worgen
Un'gol Ruins with Quilboar
Call to Arms: Nazmir
This week's Call to Arms is Call to Arms: Nazmir or Call to Arms: Nazmir. Head to Nazmir with warmode enabled to kill 10 players of the opposing faction. This will reward you with conquest and 75 reputation for either 7th Legion or The Honorbound.View the full article

Happy 14th Anniversary WoW Europe!
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
On this day, 14 years ago, World of Warcraft released in Europe!
14 years is a heck of a long time, and I’m sure many of you have some fond memories of friendships made, raids not going according to plan, epic PvP victories (or defeats), and maybe even finding a rare mount or two!
When did you start playing?
What’s your favourite memory of WoW?
Do you remember this screen?
Most of all, THANK YOU for choosing to spend your time in this world (and some short stays on other worlds) over the years!
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
WoW Classic Updates Not to split hairs here, but I’m far more interested in the decisions that have been made than I am how far along they are in implementing said decisions. I have total confidence in Blizzard to make things happen from a technical perspective. I do have some concerns that the overlords at Acti-Blizz will “encourage” extras to generate revenue at the expense of authenticity.
Those are some of the coolest conversations I think I’ve personally had about the project with the Classic team. As a fanboy I honestly get a little giddy about them. I don’t want to overhype them because not a lot of people are that excited about restoring old maps, or UI elements. Like I said before we look forward to sharing more specific details and even some examples of how the team managed to solve some problems that we think are pretty interesting.
I totally get the concern, but to comfort the thought that comes with that, this isn’t a normal project. It’s a passion project for you folks that have been diehard Classic fans and have been asking us to provide a real Vanilla server for over 10 years. We know we haven’t won over all of you yet, and some are waiting to see a closer final product, but the team is dedicated to trying to pull it off. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
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